NOVEL NEXT Chapter 47 The pre-game warm-up session, the five Pistons are united!
Originally, Charles Barkley and Kenny Smith made a bet in Game 6 of the Western Conference Finals. The loser was supposed to run around Staples Center wearing SpongeBob SquarePants underwear.
But now that the Lakers have been eliminated, G1 of the Finals is also played at the Timberwolves' home court, and TNT's two live treasures are the live commentators tonight.
Therefore, Luo Ben's location was placed in the Target Center arena, which attracted more attention and at the same time warmed up for tonight's finals.
The time soon came to half past six in the evening.
The audience seats on all sides of the Target Center Arena were already packed with people and the seats were packed.
The square outside the arena was also crowded with enthusiastic fans, looking forward to the game starting soon.
"Timberwolves championship, Kevin Garnett Finals MVP!"
"The Wolf King defeated the Roaring God, swept the top five Pistons, and the championship belongs to Minnesota!"
"Blow up the Detroit Pistons, blow up the Detroit Pistons..."
Although Minneapolis is a small city, the popularity of the NBA Finals is unprecedented.
Therefore, there were many familiar faces of celebrity fans in the VIP seats in the front row of the court tonight, as well as in several luxury boxes on the roof of the stadium.
Famous female singers Madonna, Ciccone, boxing champion Mike Tyson, Hall of Fame movie star Brad Pitt, AC Milan star Kaká...
Naturally, there were not a few retired NBA stars who came to the scene. Michael Jordan and "Big Bird" Larry Bird sat in the front row.
Larry Bird, currently the general manager of the Pacers, has been brooding over the Pacers' loss to the Detroit Pistons in the Eastern Conference Finals this year.
Players of the two teams on the court are warming up in their respective halfs at this time. ESPN beauty reporter Erin Andrews walked onto the court again to conduct pre-match interviews.
Erin Andrews first came to the warm-up half of the Pistons and interviewed the soul of the team, Ben Wallace.
Andrews, who is wearing sexy clothes and has a graceful figure, stands next to Ben, who is as muscular as a horned dragon, looking like a replica of Beauty and the Beast.
Big Ben's terrifyingly thick arms are definitely thicker than Andrews' thighs under the skirt.
"Ben, I believe you and I are equally looking forward to tonight's Finals G1. As the boss of this Detroit Pistons, what do you want to say at this moment?"
Da Ben lowered his head with his hands on his hips, and said calmly and low-key to the microphone:
"I am not the boss of this Detroit Pistons, nor am I a star, I am just an indispensable role in the team!"
"The Pistons are a civilian team. There are no superstars, no high and low, only hard work and unity, and only tough and suffocating defense!"
"Ben, I have to applaud your answer. So tonight in the away game, are you confident that you can lead the team to win the championship and get a good start in the finals?"
"The Timberwolves are a strong team, and the game will definitely be difficult. Although we can't determine the outcome, every moment we step on the court, every one of my teammates and I will go all out!"
"What do you want to say to Timberwolves starting center Olowokandi and playing against him tonight?"
Faced with the question of Erin Andrews, Ben Wallace immediately showed his domineering and tough side:
"I'll grab at least 20 rebounds over this guy's head, and then shove this parallel champion into the trash can!"
"As a representative of the league's counterattack against undrafted draft picks, do you have any comments about No. 22 Lin of the Timberwolves?"
"Lin is an amazing player, but his three-point shooting will lose its magic in the finals. Defense wins championships!"
Erin Andrews finishes interviewing Ben Wallace and finds Richard Hamilton.
Hamilton averaged 17.6 points per game in the regular season this season. This score is not high, but he is still the leading scorer in the Pistons. In the playoffs, he averaged 21.5 points per game.
"Richard, as the league's top off-ball movement master, how would you evaluate Lin's performance in the last three games of the Western Conference Finals?"
"Lin is a very potential off-ball player, and his outside shooting is also very accurate!"
"But this is more of a problem on the defensive end of the Lakers. A rookie is still a rookie after all. Lin will really hit his rookie wall in this round of finals!"
The meaning of Hamilton's words is very obvious. The Detroit Pistons are the rookie wall that Lin Fei will hit.
Erin Andrews joins Rasheed Wallace again, and there is never a shortage of news hot spots on "The Roaring King".
"Rashid, are you nervous about facing the new MVP Kevin Garnett tonight?"
"Am I nervous? Beauty, I'm afraid you've got the wrong idea. The one who should be nervous should be the most popular MVP in the league, right?"
As if smelling the full smell of gunpowder, Erin Andrews fully demonstrated the media's nature of not taking things too seriously. She jogged to the Timberwolves' warm-up half and quickly interviewed the Wolf King:
"Kevin, Rasheed Wallace threatened that you are the worst regular season MVP in the league. What do you think of this?"
"I see that he is paralyzed. I will beat this guy until he kneels down and begs for mercy tonight. He only knows how to talk, and his defense is even weaker than his wife's flour dumplings!"
The Wolf King was furious and couldn't help but clenched his fists.
Erin Andrews got the answer she wanted, and finally walked up to Lin Fei who was shooting a three-pointer in the corner with a smile:
"Lin, I'm really looking forward to your performance in G1 of the finals tonight. How many three-pointers do you think you can make?"
Lin Fei smiled and said nothing, but looked up at the enthusiastic Timberwolves fans in the auditorium:
"I think the fans should know the answer!"
Lin Fei's answer was repeated in the loud voice of the DJ at the scene, and the Timberwolves fans at home shouted:
"Seven, seven, seven..."
"At least 8!"
"As long as Lin is given 20 minutes of playing time, he will definitely be able to hit at least 6 more three-pointers!"
"Nine, nine, Lin will break the record for three-pointers in a single game in the Finals!"
"Lin, Lin, Lin..."
Lin Fei never expected that the enthusiasm of the fans at the scene would be so crazy, making him the focus of the game before the game.
When he thought that his appearance time tonight was still uncertain, Lin Fei suddenly had a bold idea in his mind.
Since you may not have enough playing time in official games, you can show your presence in the pre-game warm-up.
On the one hand, it gave back the enthusiastic support of the home Timberwolves fans, and on the other hand, it also allowed the Timberwolves coaching staff to see Lin Fei's hot state tonight.
Thinking of this, Lin Fei walked up to Szebiak without any hesitation, smiled and whispered something in his ear.
Sizebiak's expression soon brightened up, and he gave Lin Fei a thumbs up and said, "Lin, I really think you are the one, I think it's good!"
So Lin Fei waved his arms towards the fans in the stands, then quickly retreated to the three-point line at the top of the arc, received the ball from Szebiak, took off and shot a three-pointer with open hands.
"Shh!"
After the first ball was hit, there were only a few cheers at the scene. The home fans did not guess what Lin Fei was going to perform next.
Immediately afterwards, Lin Fei took about two steps back from the top of the arc, received Szebiak's second feed, took off for a three-pointer, and then shot another.
"Shh!"
the second.
This position was more than nine meters away from the basket, and the cheers were louder.
Because Lin Fei had never performed a long three-pointer in the previous pre-game warm-ups, and even deliberately lowered his shooting rate.
The fun is yet to come. Lin Fei continued to take a few steps back. This position was already close to the LOGO icon in the center circle, more than 11 meters away from the basket.
Catching the ball, taking off, raising arms, pressing wrists, shooting...all done in one smooth motion.
"Shh!"
The third.
The cheers of the fans at the scene became louder and louder, and the players from both teams on the court stopped warming up with smiles and began to look in Lin Fei's direction.
The Wolf King and the "Madman" applauded one after another, and some star fans sitting on the sidelines also obviously raised their spirits.
Lin Fei continued to retreat, and this time he was near the midline, 14 meters away from the basket.
After receiving Szebiak's fourth pass, Lin Fei took a deep breath and looked at the basket. Every muscle in his body seemed to have gone through precise calculations in an instant. He increased the force of the shot, jumped and jumped, and made the basketball bigger. Push out hard.
The basketball passed through the 14-meter-high altitude of the half-court, and under the gaze of countless players and fans, it turned into a stream of light and went straight to the net.
"Shh!"
the fourth.
The Target Center Arena was filled with excitement, and the fans chanted Lin Fei's name.
"OMG, each one is farther than the other, and the half-court three-pointers from 14 meters away from the center line can hit the net. Lin is so handsome!"
"Isn't this warm-up shot too impressive? Could it be that in order to prepare for the finals, the Timberwolves officials had Lin train many times in advance?"
"Even if I have rehearsed in advance, but now I can score four goals one after another, it is absolutely impossible for ordinary people!"
"What? Lin is still retreating. Is he going to..."
On the court, Lin Fei retreated directly to the second half this time, two meters past the center line, and more than 16 meters away from the basket.
This time "Madman" smiled and blocked Szebiak, and took the initiative to throw the basketball in his hand to Lin Fei in the backcourt.
"Wally, you already have four assists, I'll get one too!"
The players warming up on the Pistons side all looked at each other and smiled. Billups shook his head at Hamilton and said, "Richard, do you think he can still score this goal?"
Hamilton spread his hands and said: "This kid's shooting is so accurate without any defense. I think he can still hit it this time!"
Ben Wallace shook his head in disbelief and said: "It's impossible, he will never get in this time! This is so horrible!"
Under the expectant eyes of more than 20,000 people at the scene, Lin Fei made a slight adjustment after taking the ball, took a step forward, and pushed the ball vigorously with the help of the power transmission of his lower limbs and waist and abdomen.
Lin Fei didn't feel confident at such a long distance. He didn't take many shots beyond half-court in training, and his shooting rate didn't reach 50%.
But tonight's shot, the moment Lin Fei shot the basketball, he felt that it should be there.
Let the basketball fly a little longer.
"Shh!"
the fifth.
Although the ball was not hollow, it luckily hit the edge of the basket and bounced in.
Lin Fei also had a smile on his face. It seemed that he was really born for big scenes.
The super long three-pointer 16 meters away from the basket completely ignited the Target Center Arena.
Madonna, who was sitting in the front row, still looked charming. She stood up excitedly and applauded, praising:
"This Timberwolves No. 22 is so handsome. From such a long distance, even if it is football, it is difficult to accurately score the goal!"
Kaka not far away showed an embarrassed smile. Is this Madonna insulting them for playing football?
However, Lin Fei hit five three-pointers in a row, each one farther than the last, and Kaka was indeed excited to watch.
Michael Jordan looked arrogant and self-centered, chewing gum and shaking his head:
"It's a good pitch. It's perfect as a warm-up program before the game!"
"Big Bird" Larry Bird has actually started to pay attention to Lin Fei for a long time. As the old Miller is about to retire, the Pacers are in urgent need of a new generation shooting guard to replace him.
Lin Fei's three-pointers made Larry Bird fall in love, and his three-pointers after running off the ball were even more accurate than peak Miller.
But his hip-pull defense also made "Big Bird" helpless, which is very different from the peak Miller.
Therefore, for the time being, the team can only offer Lin Fei's agent an offer of $2 million for two years.
"This guy Lin, if his defense can be better, the Pacers and I are absolutely willing to give him an annual salary of 1000 million dollars!"
After the pre-match warm-up show was over, Lin Fei trotted straight into the tunnel and returned to the locker room amidst the cheers of the home fans.
Timberwolves head coach Flip Saunders smiled and shook his head. He really liked Lin Fei as his disciple, but he also looked helpless.
He had to perform this performance before tonight's G1 game in the finals. It seems that Lin Fei was protesting against his shortened playing time in the finals!
The high-definition four-sided screen on the roof of the stadium and the huge screen outside the stadium also simultaneously played back the three-point and five-point combos that Lin Fei had just made in the warm-up, one by one that was farther than the last.
Once again, many fans inside and outside the stadium cheered and screamed...
Irene Andrews on the sidelines also smiled sweetly. He felt that he really liked Lin Fei, a Chinese player, more and more.
Charles Barkley and Kenny Smith in front of the commentary desk also praised Lin Fei's warm-up performance:
"Charles, I'm very sorry. Lin's five three-pointers in the warm-up made Timberwolves fans forget about your pre-game rush!"
Barkley raised his eyebrows and stared: "The basket has turned into the Pacific Ocean in Lin's eyes, but this is only for the warm-up before the game!"
"Kenny, haven't you noticed the expression on Ben Wallace's face behind Lin? He can't wait to rush up and give Lin a big hat!"
With the eager anticipation of the fans, the time finally came to seven o'clock in the evening.
The first game of the NBA 2003-04 season finals officially kicked off.
The finals was not only broadcast live on Quanmi, but also broadcast live simultaneously by 52 radio stations in more than 97 countries around the world, and the number of viewers exceeded 1.3 million.
The referee of tonight's finals is 65-year-old Dick Bavetta, now one of the most respected referees in the NBA.
At Bavetta's signal, all the starting players of both teams took to the court.
The starting five for the Timberwolves are:
Point Guard (PG): Sam Cassel,
Shooting Guard (SG): Trenton Hassell,
Small forward (SF): Latrell Sprewell,
Power forward (PF): Kevin Garnett,
Center (C): Michael Olowokandi.
The starting five for the Detroit Pistons are:
Point Guard (PG): Chauncey Billups,
Shooting guard (SG): Richard Hamilton,
Small Forward (SF): Tayshaun Prince,
Power forward (PF): Rasheed Wallace,
Center (C): Ben Wallace.
The jersey worn by the Timberwolves is white with blue lettering, while the Pistons have red lettering on a blue background.
The head coaches of the two teams, Flip Saunders and Larry Brown, also walked to the technical stage on the sidelines, shook hands with each other, and smiled.
"Mr. Sanders, I am very honored to meet the Timberwolves in the finals. I believe this will definitely be a wonderful showdown!"
As the most famous coach in the NBA, Larry Brown has no airs, is humble, and exudes academic gentlemanly demeanor and rigor.
"Mr. Brown, you have always been my respected head coach. I believe that in this round of finals, the players and I can improve even more!"
The coaches of the two teams were polite and respectful to each other on the surface, but in their hearts a game had already begun.
On the court, Ben Wallace and Olowokandi stepped up to the middle circle to jump the ball.
Although his real height is only 2.01 meters, his wingspan of 2.18 meters is not outstanding among centers.
But Big Ben's reaction and bullet speed are top-notch, which is enough to kill Olowokandi in seconds in the process of jumping the ball and rebounding.
"Snapped!"
The basketball was first lifted by Ben Wallace, Billups stepped forward to catch the ball, and the Detroit Pistons took the lead in attacking at the beginning.
Bringing the ball to the frontcourt, Billups faced "Alien" Cassel, called a pick-and-roll from Rasheed Wallace at the top of the arc, and took the ball to the right to break through.
"Whoosh!"
Cassel didn't get around the screen immediately, so the Wolf King stepped forward to delay Billups.
Although he is a power forward, the wolf king is tall and has long arms, and his lateral movement speed is not slow. The effect of defending some defenders is not bad.
Billups, who lacked enough explosive power, failed to complete the breakthrough, and quickly returned the ball to Rashid, who came down the pick-and-roll in the middle.
After receiving the ball, "Roaring God" stopped suddenly inside the free throw line and made a decisive mid-range straight-arm jumper.
"Bang!"
The ball was a bit off and missed the frame.
"Snapped!"
Olowokandi, who was under the basket, wanted to turn over and jump to grab the rebound, but was beaten first by Ben Wallace, who had amazing bounce speed and excellent rebound sense.
Big Ben used his strong upper body strength to suppress the parallel import champion. After landing, he quickly took off twice, grabbed the ball with both hands and delivered a violent follow-up dunk.
"Boom!"
After landing, Daben showed off his biceps, turned around and roared domineeringly at the Wolf King:
"Kevin, you better defend me, this guy is as soft as a pussy!"
Lin Fei, who was sitting on the sideline bench, did not focus on the Pistons' offensive players, but was always staring at Richard Hamilton's off-ball movement just now.